Maine town mourns loss of HMS Bounty

BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - The search continues for the captain of the sailing ship HMS Bounty, who was lost at sea when the ship sank yesterday off the coast of North Carolina.

One other crew member died, but fourteen were rescued by the Coast Guard.

The Bounty was a three masted, square-rigged ship, a replica of the original British warship from the 18th century. She was built for the 1962 movie "Mutiny on the Bounty". In more recent years she had sailed around the U.S. and the world as a sail training ship and an attraction for visitors.

The Bounty's loss has hit hard in Boothbay Harbor, where the ship had been a frequent visitor. The Boothbay Harbor Shipyard did a lot of work on the Bounty during the past ten years, and they say the ship had just left the yard two weeks ago, following what was termed "routine maintenance".

People at the shipyard and in town say the Bounty's captain and crew had become their friends over the years, and say everyone is feeling the loss of the ship.

Several people also acknowledge that many are wondering why the Bounty headed to sea with a hurricane coming. The Bounty's Facebook page suggests the captain and crew had a plan to sail around the big storm.

Larry Colcord from the shipyard says the ship had weathered big seas and storms before. But comments on the Facebook page say the ship's generator and pumps apparently failed, and water started coming in. The engine also reportedly failed. Colcord said "lose power and you got winds and storms there's not much you can do."